Machine for working rubber.



No. 697,2. Patented Apr. 8, I902;

- J. H. PEARCE.

MACHINE FOR WORKING RUBBER.

(Application filed Apr. 22, 1901.)

(No Model.) 5 sham-sheet THE norms Perms w. Pnulfoumou WASHINGTON. u. c.

N0. 697,2fl7. Patented Apr. 8, I902.

J. H. PEARCE.

MACHINE FOR WORKING RUBBER.

(Application filed Apr. 22,1901.)

5 Sheets-Shot z (-llo Modal.)

N0. 697,2!7. Patented Apr. 8, I902. J. H. PEARCE.

MACHINE FOR WORKING RUBBER.

(Application filed Apr. 22, 1901.) (No Modai.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 69mm Patented Apr. 8, I902;

J. n. PEARCE.

cums FOB WOBKING RUBBER.

' A imation filed Apr. 22, 1901.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

No. 612. Patented Apr. 8, I902. J. H. PEARCE.

MACHINE FOR WORKING RUBBER.

(Application filed Apr. 22, 1901.1

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(Ho mam.)

iTED TA E a'rnnr an on.

JOHN H. PEARCE, OF NEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY STUART HOTCI-IKISS, OF NEWV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR WORKlNG RUBBER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 697,217, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed April 22,1901. Serial No. 56,905. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. PEARCE, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Machines forWorking Rubber; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1,aviewin side elevation of one form which amachine constructed in accordance with my invention may assume; Fig. 2, a similar view of the other side of the machine; Fig. 3, a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the rolls; Fig. 4, a broken detail view showing one of the pressure-levers employed for carrying the pressure-roll and the secondary driving mechanism for driving the said roll when it is not frictionally driven by the finishing-roll, the pressure-roll and pressure-lever being shown in their normal positions and the secondary driving mechanism being shown out of action; Fig. 5, a broken detail View showing the pressure-roll moved away from the finishing-roll and the secondary driving mechanism brought into operation for driving the said pressure-roll; Fig. 6, a broken front view of the parts shown in Figs. 4 and 5 with the driving-belt of the secondary drivingmechanism of the pressureroll removed; Fig. 7, abroken view in side elevation of one of the modified forms which the secondary driving mechanism of the pressure-roll may assume; Fig. 8, a broken view of one of the forms which the finishing-roll may assume, the said finishing -roll being shown suitably incised as for the production of sole-taps.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of machines for working rubber in which a plurality of films are formed and united and blended into one composite but homogeneous sheet in which the air-bubbles occurring in the respective single films are neutralized, the object of my invention being to produce a compact, convenient, and effective machine adapted to be used not only in the production of composite sheets having both sides plain or smooth, but also in the production of sheets figured on one side as well as sheets containing segregable forms, such as sole-taps.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a rubber-working machine having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

As herein shown, the machine is furnished with an upper and lower series of rolls, each series constituting an independent film-forming mechanism. The upper series of rolls comprises an adjustable feed-roll C, an ad- .justable feed and reducing roll D, a reducing and finishing roll E, and an adjustable reducing, finishing, and knurling roll F, which it is designed shall be interchanged with other rolls differently cut or incised according to the character of the work to be done, or with a plain roll in case the product is to have both surfaces plain or smooth. I shall hereinafter speak of the roll F as the incised finishing-roll, using the term incised to cover cutting of whatever character and whether designed to produce figured stock to be usedas such or stock containing segregable forms, such as sole or heel taps. When the rollF is incised for the production of an ornamental figure or design, it would properly be called an embossing roll. When out to produce segregable forms, it would be designated by some other term. Thus rolls incised for the production of solotaps and combined sole and heel taps are technically known in the art as knurlingrolls. I have therefore adopted the term incised finishing-roll as a generic term'for this roll. As shown, ithas sole-shaped pockets W cut in at regular intervals. The lower series of rolls comprises a feed-roll G, a feed, reducing, and finishing roll H, an adjustable reducing-roll I, and an adjustable finishingroll J.

The adjustment of the adjustable rolls of the upper and lower series of-rolls is effected in the ordinary manner and does not need detailed illustration or description, na i" Is it necessary to enter into a detailed i scliption 10o of the means employed for driving them, as such means may be widely varied and are well known.

Between the upper and lower series of rolls I locate a pressure-roll L, the upper surface of which is designed to coact with the lower surface of the incised finishing-roll F of the upper series of rolls. Between the upper and lower series of rolls I also locate a verticallyadjustable guide-roll K, which is raised or lowered as required to cause the film produced by the lower series of rolls to enter the bite of the finishing-roll F and the pressure-roll L at the angle required for avoiding air-bubbles. This is necessary because the interchangeable roll F may vary in diameter. Thus it may be reduced in diameter by being cut down to change the design. In that case'the pressure-roll would rise, and this would refquire the raising of the guide-roll K. A conveyer-roll M is also employed to lead the finished composite film away from the machine.

The pressure-roll L is normally driven fric: tionally by the roll F, against which it is pressed; but in starting up the machine, as

'well as in clearing out the machine after the required amount of stock has been run through it, it is necessary to drive the pressure-roll independently of the finishing-roll F, and for this purpose secondary driving mechanism is employed for the pressure-roll. To provide for these requirements, the journ'als L of the pressure-roll are located in suitablesemicircular seats S, formed in the upper ends of two segmental boxes S, located in two segmental slots respectively formed in the uprightsAand Bof the machine-frame. The said boxes S are connected by means of short studs S with the rounded forward ends of two long pressure levers T, hung upon studs T mounted in the said uprights A and B, having long rear ends carrying weights T -When the weights T are removed from the levers T, the pressure-roll .descends by gravity in' a curved path following the curvature of the segmental slots N, in which the boxes S at this time descend, as shown in Fig. 5.

For driving the pressure-roll in its depressed or, as Iprefer to say, retired position Iprovide itsleft-hand-end trunnion with abelt-pulley 0, over which runs a belt R, also running over a pulley P, mounted upon the left-hand journal of the roll J of the lower series of rolls. This belt is so loose that 'when the pressure-roll L is coacting with the finishing-roll F the belt slips over the. pulley O of the pressure-roll. When, however, the

at its lower end with a flanged roller V, located within the belt, whereby the said lever is swung outwardly, so as to push the belt R outward between two antifriction rollers Q and Q mounted in a frame Q, secured to the said left-hand uprightA of the machineframe. In this way the slack of the belt is taken up and it is caused to drive the pressure-roll. It will thus be seen that when the pressure-roll L is retired and cleared from the finishing-roll F, by which it is frictionally driven, the secondary driving mechanism provided for it is automatically brought into action.

In starting the machine the weights T are removed, so as to allow the pressure-roll to drop into its retired position. The machine is then started up and stock ,is run through the lower, series of rolls and over the pressure-roll, which is now being driven by its secondary driving mechanism. The rolls of the lower series are now adjusted until a film is produced of the desired weight and thickness. At this time the pressure-roll has no pressure function, but performs the function ofcarrying away or discharging from the machine the film produced by the lower rolls while the same are being adjusted. 'At the same time stock is run through the rolls of the upper series of rolls, which are also adjusted until a film of the desired weight and thickness is being produced, the film produced by them during this adjusting operation being conveyed away by the conveyerroll M. When both series of rolls have been properly adjusted and the machine is producing two films of the required weight and thickness, the film produced by the lower series of rolls is cut in front of the pressure-roll and the weights T restored to the pressure levers T, whereby the same are caused to swing so as to lift the pressureroll up against the finishing-roll F. As the pressure roll is raised in this manner the belt-tightening lever Uswings back into itsnormal position, whereby the belt R is loosened and the secondary driving mechanism of the pressure-roller automatically cut out of action. The two films being produced by the respective series of rolls are now united and blended between the pressure-roll and the finishing-roll at a-point on the finishing-roll in advance, so to speak, of the point thereon where the same coacts with the finishing and reducing roll E and before the film produced by the upper series of rolls leaves the finishing-roll F. This is essential in case the finishing-roll F is an incised roll, because those portions of the film driven into its incisions lnust be in place therein when the film produced by the lower series of rolls is united to its under surface. By uniting the two films almost as soon as they are produced and before they leave the machine any air-bubbles occurring in one film will be neutralized by the other film, and vice versa, be-

cause, of course, the air-bubbles in one film ICO IIO

will not in the nature of things register with those of the other film, their occurrence be ing irregular. The composite film thus produced is solider and more homogeneous, and consequently better adapted to be worked up into heavy stock than any equally heavy single sheet that can be formed. This is particularly true of the production of the heavy soling stock used in making rubber boots and shoes. It will be understood, of course, that the uneven surface produced by the incised roll will always be exposed on one side of the product.

When the machine is used. for producing, say, sole-taps, nearly the entire thickness of the film produced by the upper rolls is taken up by the taps which occur, so to speak, at regular intervals in a very thin film, which adheres to one side of the film produced in the lower series of rolls, the film last mentioned also increasing the thickness of the taps. When such a composite film issues from the machine, it is cut up with a flange about each segregable sole-tap, which flange is used in securing it in place.

In the modified construction shown by Fig. 7 of the drawings the belt for driving the pressure-roll is dispensed with and the lefthand journal of the roll provided with a loose sprocket-wheel 10,over which runs a sprocketchain 11, also running over a sprocket-wheel 12, secured to a sleeve 12, mounted upon the stud T of the left-hand pressure-lever T. The said sleeve also carries a larger sprocketwheel 13,0ver which runs a sprocket-chain 14, also running over a sprocket-wheel 15, which corresponds to the pulley P, already referred to. The two sprocket-chains 11 and 14 are constantly driven; but as the sprocket-wheel 10 is normally loose with reference to the pressure-roll the same will not be driven except when manually coupled therewith by a mechanism not necessary to be described, the sprocket-wheel 10 being manually coupled to the pressure-roll, as it is desired to run the same independently of the finishing-roll F.

Of course the machine might be provided with three or more film-forming mechanisms, if desired, to produce three-ply or four-ply sheets, and so on, or one or both series of rolls might be arranged to produce more than one film by feeding and leading the crude stock through them in a manner well known to those familiar with this art. I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the particular mechanism shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for working rubber, the combination with a plurality of film-forming mechanisms, one of which includes a finishing-roll, a pressure-roll arranged to coact directly with the said finishing-roll for uniting and blending into one sheet the several films produced by the several film-forming mechanisms, and means connected with the pressure-roll for moving it toward and away from the said finishing-roll causing it to automatically accommodate its position to variations in the thickness of the films.

2. In a machine for working rubber, the combination with a plurality of film-forming mechanisms, one of which includes a finish ing-roll, a pressure-roll arranged to coact directly with the said finishing-roll for uniting and blending into one sheet the several films produced by the several film-forming mechanisms, and means connected with the pressure-roll for causing it to automatically accommodate its position to variations in the thickness of the films.

3. In a machine for working rubber, the combination with a pluralityof film-forming mechanisms, one of which includes an incised finishing-roll, and a pressure-roll arranged to coact directly with the said finishing-roll, whereby the films produced by the respective film forming mechanisms are united and blended between the said finishing-roll and the said pressure-roll after the finishing-roll has acted upon one film and before that film has left its surface.

4:. In a machine for working rubber, the combination with a plurality of film-forming mechanisms, one of which includes an incised finishing-roll, of a pressure-roll arranged to have its upper surface coact directly with the lower surface of the said finishing-roll,whereby the films produced by the respective filmforming mechanisms are united and blended between the finishing-roll and the pressureroll after the finishing-roll has acted upon one film and before that film has left its surface.

5. In a machine for working rubber, the combination with an upper series of rolls including a finishing-roll, for producing a film of rubber, of a lower series of rolls for producing a film of rubber, and a pressure-roll located between the two series of rolls in position to have its upper surface coact directly with the lower surface of the finishing-roll of the upper series, the films produced by the respective series of rolls being passed between the said finishing-roll of the upperseries and the upper surface of the pressure-roll, whereby the said films are united and blended together after the finishing-roll has acted upon one film and before that film has left its surface. I

6. In a machine for working rubber, the combination with a plurality of film-producing mechanisms, one of which includes a finishing-roll, of a pressure -roll coacting directly with the said finishing-roll for uniting and blending the respective films formed by the said mechanisms, the said pressure-roll being driven frictionally by the said finishing-roll when coacting therewith, and means connected with said pressure-roll for rotating it independently of the said finishing-roll.

7. In a machine for working rubber, the combination with aplurality of film-producing mechanisms, one of which includes a finishing-roll, of a pressure-roll coacting directly with the said finishing-roll for uniting and blending the respective films formed by the said mechanisms, the said pressure-roll being driven frictionally by the said finishingroll when coacting therewith, and means for rotating the said pressure-roll independently of the said friction-roll and automatically brought into operation when the said pressure-roll is moved away from the finishingroll and cut out of operation when itis moved up to the same.

8. In a machine for working rubber, the combination with a plurality of film-forming mechanisms, one of which includes a finishing-roll, of a pressure-roll coacting directly with the said finishing-roll for uniting and blending the respective films formed by the said mechanisms, the said pressure-roll being frictionally driven by the said finishingroll when coacting therewith, movable supports for the pressure-roll by which it is moved toward and away from the said finishing-roll, and a driving mechanism for the pressureroll automatically brought into action for driving the said pressure-roll when the same is moved away from the finishing-roll and automatically cut out of action when the said pressure-roll is moved up to the said finishing-roll.

9. In a machine for working rubber, the combination with a plurality of film-forming mechanisms, one of which includes a finishing-roll, of a pressure-roll coacting directly with the said finishing-roll for uniting and blending the films into one composite sheet, and an adjustable guide-roll coacting with the said finishing and pressure rolls.

10. In a machine for working rubber, the combination with a plurality of film-forming mechanisms one of which includes a finishing-roll, of a pressure-roll coacting directly with the said finishing-roll for uniting and blending the films into one composite sheet, pressure-levers carrying the said pressureroll and movable toward and away from the said finishing-roll, and means for driving the said pressure-roll independently of the said finishing-roll which normally drives it frictionally.

11. In a rubber-working machine, the combination with a plurality of film -forming mechanisms, one of which produces a film of uneven surface, of means for uniting and blending the films including that having an uneven surface, so as to produce a composite sheet with the uneven surface of the film of uneven surface exposed on one side of the said sheet. a

12. In a machine for working rubber, the combination with a plurality of film-forming mechanisms, one of the said mechanisms having an incised finishing-roll, ot' a pressure-roll coacting with the said incised roll for uniting and blending on the incised roll before the film acted upon thereby has left its surface, the several films produced in the machine.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. PEARCE. WVitness es:

FREDERIC G. EARLE, LILLIAN D. KELsEY. 

